stratus

[ strey-tuhs, strat-uhs ]

noun,plural stra·ti

[strey-tahy, strat-ahy]. /ˈstreɪ taɪ, ˈstræt aɪ/.

a cloud of a class characterized by a gray, horizontal layer with a uniform base, found at a lower altitude than altostratus, usually below 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).

Origin of stratus

1795–1805; <Latin strātus;see stratum

Words Nearby stratus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stratus in a sentence

The appearance of the cumulo-stratus, among ranges of hills, presents some interesting phenomena.
The Rain Cloud | Anonymous
The cumulo-stratus, when well formed and seen singly, and in profile, is quite as beautiful an object as the cumulus.
The Rain Cloud | Anonymous
This cloud may either evaporate or disappear, or it may pass to the cirrus, or sink lower and become a cirro-stratus.
The Rain Cloud | Anonymous
The stratus, from its spreading out horizontally in a continuous layer, and increasing from below.
The Rain Cloud | Anonymous
The cumulo-stratus is more dense and continuous in its structure; thick in the middle, and thinned off towards the edges.
The Rain Cloud | Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for stratus

stratus

/ (ˈstreɪtəs) /

nounplural -ti (-taɪ)

a grey layer cloud: Compare cirrus (def. 1), cumulus

Origin of stratus

C19: via New Latin from Latin: strewn, from sternere to extend

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for stratus

stratus

[ străt′əs, strā′təs ]

Plural strati (străt′ī, strā′tī)

A diffuse, grayish cloud that often produces drizzle and is formed primarily in altitudes no higher than 2,000 m (6,560 ft). A stratus cloud close to the ground or water is called fog. See illustration at cloud.

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